Monday, January 28, 2013

Progress

This doesn't mean, of course, that they won't be taking their usual starring roles in Book 8. Of course they will. But I've had to approach this one in a slightly different way than normal.

Because this book is about, essentially, total war, I've had to think long and hard about how the different sides would fight— such as what tactics they would use in both the short and long term. It means I can't chop and change sequences like I usually would. If they're written, then they've been written for a very specific reason, and I can't mess about with that. So I figured the best way to write about these military actions is to write them FIRST. Write the skirmishes and the battles and the politics and the arguments, and get it all down on the page. Then, once I have the military aspect taken care of, I go back and write my usual Skul & Val stuff around and on top of it all.

It's an interesting way of working, to willingly ignore your main characters for large chunks of writing time. I sincerely hope it works...

Oh, and sometime in February I shall announce the title. I've had this title in mind for YEARS. Some of the early alternatives were:

Skulduggery Pleasant: The Billingsworth Continuum.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Behind Gold Eyes.

Skulduggery Pleasant: It's War, Baby.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Revenge of the Screaminator.

Skulduggery Pleasant: When Warlocks Attack.

Skulduggery Pleasant: A Very Nice Picnic.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Brain-Puncher.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Gut-Eater.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Skulduggery Goes Camping.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Things Get Nasty.

Skulduggery Pleasant: People Gonna Die.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Readers Gonna Cry.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Horace.

And amazingly, the actual title is better than ANY of those! I know, right?

Cannot wait for book 8. Does sound like a strange way of writing - but if it works why not!When are you announcing the tour dates? Especially MK in April. Need to know so I can book time off work if necessary. Not going to miss you this time!!!

Oh GOD, can you please! call it "It's war, Baby" or "People gonna die" or (even better) "Readers Gonna Cry" ? I think I would just love the book because of its title, regardless of how the book is (and of course i will also love it because of the story, just because you can't write bad books :D )

Derek I cried at those titles oh god. I can just imagine the whole of book 8 being a really serene camping trip in the Mournes. ASIDE FROM HILARIOUS TITLES- DO YOU ENJOY STABBING ME IN THE HEART WITH A SHATTERPROOF RULER? LITERALLY I CANNOT TAKE THE EMOTIONAL PAIN, DEREK. THE /FEELS/

THE FEELS JUST GET WORSE AND WORSE. BY BOOK NINE WE WILL ALL BE DEAD, OR WORSE. FORCED TO LIVE AND RE-READ ALL THE BOOKS UNTIL OUR HEARTS IMPLODE. *runs out into the fields around my house, naked and screaming**but mainly naked*

FLARING, NO, NOT THE FEELS! They are already killing me...I keep imagining Skul's family and how cute certain people would have been together if they hadn't died and what could have been and all the torture it ends up with...

I need to arrange to meet you! Like, it has to happen! Sometime soon! Also, you said you would meet up with me, not just at a signing. I'm flying halfway around the world for 18 hours. So we need to arrange an actual meeting!!!

You know, Derek, if you read this, know that I have some sense. As much as I like your books, I don't really feel like going out of my way to meet you. Just, no. I think I shall have French Fries for dinner now. Yup, it's only dinner time where I live. Mind flip.

Hey, are you bugged yet? How about now? If you're smart you don't have this thing rigged to send you an e-mail every time someone posts a comment... I am in a buggy mood right now. Hey. Hey. Hi. How bout now?

OMG WHY AM I ONLY SEEING THIS POST NOW?!?!All those titles are BRILLIANT!! I really love them all. How can NONE of them be the title?!?! I don't understand!!Anyway, OMG THE TITLE IS OUT IN FEBRUARY OMG I AM GETTING SO SO EXCITED!! Can I just have it now?! PLEASE!!

Ha! Warlocks! I must say I'm proud of myself for predicting that. Now I just need to read Kingdom of the Wicked again, luckily my brother hasn't read it so I can read it aloud and do the voices in my hopefully not terrible Irish accent.

Oh my gosh, when I read that Skul and Val aren't even in it yet and that a war's going on, you completely had me thinking that you were going to have bits of the stories from Mevolent's Collaboration in it!

I wanted to force myself to write a story so I spoiled everyone into telling me they were excited for a new story. Whether they're honest or not, I think whatever anyone says about the pic would make me write it.

Twenty!Ok, this is where Shai leaves.Pointless!There are so many better things I could be doing than sitting here reloading the page every 60 seconds, like actually writing for the MC again. Or annoying Fabi.*Grins*That sounds fun, actually.*Goes to annoy Fabi*I'll be back of I get bored again.

Hi! Horace? I'm not even going to ask...I KNEW the Warlocks would come back! I have this list of things that could go wrong in the next SP book, and the Warlocks are heading that list :)Something funny happened today. I was talking with this new girl in class. Then I opened up my computer. She saw the desktop background (Val and Skul) and went 'Oh, that's from Skulduggery Pleasant, isn't it?'I hugged her :)